Canada name roster for Buffalo 2015
23.04.2015Seventeen players will form the squad looking to retain their title at the 2015 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships which get underway on Sunday (26 April).
Canada players celebrate after the ice sledge hockey bronze medal game between Canada and Norway at the Shayba Arena at the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games.
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“This is a team with a tremendous amount of experience in big-game situations, and one that is excited to defend its world title.”
Hockey Canada announced on Wednesday (22 April) the 17 players who will be a part of Canada’s National Sledge Team at the 2015 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships, taking place from 26 April-3 May in Buffalo, New York, USA.
Canada’s roster includes two goaltenders, five defencemen and 10 forwards. Twelve of the 17 players (Arsenault, Bowden, Bridges, Dixon, Dorion, Gemmell, Larocque, McGregor, Rempel, Watson, Westlake and Whitson) helped Canada win a gold medal at the 2013 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships in Goyang, South Korea.
Head coach Ken Babey also announced that Greg Westlake will serve as captain of Canada’s National Sledge Team at the World Championships, joined by alternate captains Brad Bowden and Tyler McGregor.
Westlake has worn the ‘C’ for Team Canada at the last two IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships, in addition to the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.
“This is a team with a tremendous amount of experience in big-game situations, and one that is excited to defend its world title,” said Babey. “Sledge hockey just keeps getting bigger in Canada, and having this year’s World Championship so close to the Canadian border should be another tremendous showcase for the sport in our country.”
Canada’s roster also includes:
• Thirteen players who helped Canada’s National Sledge Team win a bronze medal at Sochi 2014 (Arsenault, Bowden, Bridges, Delaney, Dixon, Dorion, Gemmell, Larocque, McGregor, Rempel, Watson, Westlake and Whitson)
• Four players who will make their debuts at Buffalo 2015 (Cederstrand, Delaney, Sholomicki and Sorley)
Canada opens the World Championships on Sunday against Japan, and will also face Norway on 27 April and the Czech Republic on 29 April in preliminary round play. The semi-finals are set for 1 May, and the bronze medal game and gold medal game will be played on 3 May.
In seven appearances at the IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships, Canada has won three gold medals (2000, 2008, 2013) and three bronze medals (1996, 2009, 2012), finishing fourth in 2004.
Tickets for Buffalo 2015 are still available whilst live coverage and results will be shown at Buffalo2015.com.
